It's a reminder school officials are hoping students and parents will take seriously. It all comes down to making smart decisions at a time when students are filling up their calendars with senior year activities.

Students are counting down the weeks until the end of the school year. Besides the books, they've turned their attention toward graduation and prom, two big nights for high school seniors.

But school officials are trying to get the word out to students that the use of drugs and alcohol on campus or at school-sponsored events will land them on the sideline for graduation. The warning letter has become a part of the lesson plan for students at Northeast High School.

"They would hand it to you to make sure you got it. They would read it to you. It was very pushed on us to make sure we don't make any wrong decisions that could affect our whole life," said Sierra Mitchell, a Northeast High School senior.

The letter comes a month before graduation and prom, plenty of time for students to become aware of what could happen.

"I think it's a great decision by the school because, you know, kids will be messing up sometimes and you don't want that to happen to ruin their lives or make their parents sad or something like that. I mean, overall, it's a great decision by the school," said Kyler Kidd, a Northeast High School senior.

School administrators said they will enforce the end-of-year policy for seniors.

"It's really about them making good decisions. It's really about them taking care of one another and helping support one another in making good decisions about keeping them safe," said Jason Williams, principal at Northeast High School.

Parents are also being kept in the loop, students said, for all the obvious reasons.

"It's not only like a big deal to yourself to not cross across stage, you're disappointing your whole family, so you don't want to do that to your family and yourself, and a lot of kids are taking that pretty seriously," said Clay Smith, a Northeast High School senior.

Students who violate the Code of Conduct can pick up their diplomas after graduation ceremonies. The last scheduled day for seniors in Anne Arundel County is May 29.

IN TONIGHT'S EDUCATION ALERT, A WARNING FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS -- IF YOU ARE BUSTED USING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR DIPLOMA ON TIME. IT IS A REMINDER THAT SCHOOL OFFICIALS ARE HOPING STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS WILL TAKE SERIOUSLY. TIM TOOTEN JOINS US IN THE STUDIO. NO FULLING AROUND, THEY REALLY MEAN THIS? IT ALL COMES DOWN TO SMART DECISIONS AT A TIME WHEN STUDENTS ARE FILLING UP THEIR CALENDARS WITH SENIOR YEAR ACTIVITIES. STUDENTS ARE COUNTING DOWN THE WEEKS UNTIL THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. ASIDE THE BOOKS, THEY HAVE TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO GRADUATION AND THE SENIOR PROM. BUT STUDENT OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT THE USE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL ON CAMPUS OR AT SCHOOL SPONSORED EVENTS WILL LAND THEM ON THE SIDELINE FOR GRADUATION. THE WARNING LETTER HAS BECOME PART OF THE LESSON PLAN FOR STUDENTS AT NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL. THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE DEFINITELY GOT IT AND THEY WOULD READ IT TO YOU. IT WAS PUSHED ON US TO MAKE SURE WE DO NOT MAKE ANY WRONG DECISIONS I COULD AFFECT OUR WHOLE LIVES. THE LETTER COMES ONE MONTH BEFORE GRADUATION AND THE PROM. PLENTY OF TIME FOR STUDENTS TO BECOME AWARE OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN. I THINK IT IS A GREAT DECISION BY THE SCHOOL. YOU DO NOT WANT TO RUIN YOUR LIFE, MAKE YOUR HAIR IS SAD, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OVERALL A GREAT DECISION BY THE SCHOOL. SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL ENFORCE THE END OF YOUR POLICY FOR SENIORS. IT IS ABOUT THEM MAKING GOOD DECISIONS, HELPING ONE ANOTHER, MAKING GOOD DECISIONS ABOUT KEEPING THEM SAFE. PARENTS ARE BEING KEPT IN THE LOOP, FOR ALL THE OBVIOUS REASONS. YOU ARE DISAPPOINTING YOUR WHOLE FAMILY. YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT TO YOUR FAMILY AND TO YOURSELF. THEY ARE TAKING THAT ANY SERIOUS. STUDENTS VIOLATING THE CODE OF CONDUCT CAN PICK UP THEIR DIPLOMAS AFTER GRADUATION CEREMONIES. AND BY THE WAY, THE LAST